1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a method and an apparatus for operating Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) roaming, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for operating WiFi roaming, which can efficiently process authentication and accounting so that the load of an authentication server (RADIUS server) is reduced in a WiFi roaming scheme in which a station session management function and a traffic control function are separated by a Access Controller (AC) and a Access Point (AP) which interwork with each other in a tunneling manner according to a Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) roaming system is a type of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) based on IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards, and provides a high-speed wireless data service to mobile stations located within a predetermined distance from an Access Point (AP) which is a wireless access relay device.
In such a WiFi roaming scheme using an AP, the AP generally takes charge of both a station session management function and a traffic control function according to a Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP), but an Access Controller (AC) interworks with the AP in a tunneling manner with the introduction of a CAPWAP protocol and takes charge of the station session management function, thus reducing the load of the AP and smoothly providing a high-speed wireless data service to mobile stations.
However, upon processing accounting aspect of the service, the AP generally interworks with an authentication server (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Services: RADIUS server) to process the accounting aspect of the service. As a result, there is a problem in that, in particular, whenever a mobile station accesses a new AP due to the movement of the station, the new AP frequently generates traffic related to authentication and accounting, thus increasing the load of the AP and the authentication server (RADIUS server).